Saying Goodbye

Being involved in Young Life as long as I have been, you'd think I'd be used to the "goodbyes" that are an inevitable part of working with this ministry, especially the property side of the ministry. Staff are frequently moving around to begin leading ministry in other cities or moving to other properties. Unfortunately, knowing that these transitions are unavoidable does not make them any easier. On Tuesday evening I went up to Jasper to join many friends in sending off another camp staff. Dan, the operations manager, accepted a job with a ministry called FOCUS and will be managing a property on Martha's Vineyard. As friends gathered together, we shared some of our favorite memories of Dan and his family. Some were funny stories as Dan was always making people laugh or throwing balls at them or playing practical jokes. But most of the stories were about how much Dan and his wife had impacted lives. They are greatly respected by all who had the honor of knowing them. Like so many others I learned about leadership and about seeking God's wisdom in all areas of my life. I was challenged by Dan and encouraged to consider the ways God has gifted me and where my passions line up with God's calling on my life. I'm so thankful for the ways I was loved well by both Dan and his wife.

I'll never forget the first weekend I ever really worked with Dan at camp. It was the first weekend I ever hosted and was going through training with Kevin and Courson, who was really responsible for most of our training. On Saturday evening Dan took over the training from Courson. One of the jobs we had was to turn off all the lights on camp for the 20 minutes of quiet time after club on Saturday night. I remember Dan asking if Kevin and I had any idea where the lights were because he wasn't certain he even remembered where they all were. I'm still not entirely sure how serious he was being, but knowing Dan, he probably didn't really remember. We were walking around the vintage cabins turning off the time switches for the lights which were located in the basements of the buildings. In one building, you have to walk around the stairs and much to both Kevin and Dan's surprise there were a mass of dear heads staring back at them in the dark. I have never laughed so hard hearing two men screaming like girls. It really set the stage for the rest of our time together - filled with laughter and awkward and funny moments working together. And also a great respect for a leader who saw potential in everyone and chose to push us to be the best he knew we could be.